Lascelles to miss out for Reds

Stuart Pearce will be without Jamaal Lascelles for his first game in charge of Nottingham Forest against Blackpool at the City Ground.

Lascelles, who along with goalkeeper Karl Darlow has been sold to Newcastle but loaned back to the Reds for this season, is nursing an injury.

Fellow central defender Jack Hobbs (ankle), full-back Eric Lichaj (hernia) and the versatile Chris Cohen (knee) are all on their way back from the injuries that brought a premature end to their 2013/14 campaigns.

Summer signings Danny Fox, who was on loan at the club last season, Matty Fryatt, Lars Veldwijk, Louis Laing, Roger Riera, Jack Hunt, Michael Mancienne, Chris Burke, Britt Assombalonga and Michail Antonio will all hope to make their debuts against the Seasiders.

Blackpool's new-look side will get its first outing in Nottingham as Jose Riga's hastily put-together squad begins the season after a summer of turmoil at Bloomfield Road.

The Seasiders had just eight professional players on their books 12 days before this trip to the City Ground, but Riga has since signed a glut of players, including two goalkeepers in Joe Lewis and Elliot Parish.

Lewis, Ishmael Miller, John Lundstram, Joan Oriol and Jose Miguel Cubero are yet to feature in either of Blackpool's two pre-season friendlies so rustiness is to be expected.

Striker Bobby Grant did appear in the win over Penrith, though, after being out since March with a knee injury.